Key Concept 1.1: Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth

Student ______October 2013 Global 9A Miss Canone

Study Guide #1

Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations, to c. 600 B.C.E.

I. Archeological evidence indicates that during the Paleolithic era, hunting- foraging bands of humans gradually migrated from their origin in East Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas, adapting their technology and cultures to new climate regions

Use the SPICE acronym to analyze the major developments for key concept 1.1.

SOCIAL  Men hunted and women gathered

 No social classes

 Low birth rates

POLITICAL  Egalitarian

 Small clans

 No governments/states/wars

INTERACTION  Major migration around the world (nomadic)

 Little control over environment

CULTURAL  Stone tools --Polytheistic

 Fire --Cave Paintings  Language

ECONOMIC  Small clans (survival)

 Some exchange of ideas and goods

 Hunter gatherers

 No surplus

1. What is the evidence that explains the earliest history of humans and the planet? What are the theories that interpret this evidence?

 The term “Big Geography” is used to give an overview of early history.

 Throughout the Paleolithic time period, humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia, Australia and the Americas.

 Early humans adapted to different geographic settings (savannas, deserts, tundra).

2. Where did humans first appear on Earth, and what were their societal structures, technology, and culture?

 Humans originated in Africa (East African Rift Valley) and migrated to Eurasia, Australia and Americas.

 They adapted technology and culture to new climate regions.

 Society was comprised of small clans and people were relatively equal.

3. Describe earliest humans’ technology and tools.

 Use of fire (cook food, protect against predators, adapt to cold)

 More sophisticated tools over time (stone)

4. What were the earliest humans’ religious beliefs and practices?

 Polytheistic (worship of many gods and goddesses)

 Animistic (spirits in all living things)

 Rituals to cope with death

5. How did the earliest humans’ society help them procure enough supplies to survive?  Small clans hunted and gathered whatever they needed for survival

 Some exchange of people, ideas and goods

Key Concept 1.2: The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies

I. Beginning about 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic Revolution led to the development of new and more complex economic and social systems.

II. Agriculture and pastoralism began to transform human societies.

SOCIAL  Social classes

 Shift from nomadic to sedentary

 Gender inequalities (patriarchy)

 Villages form

POLITICAL  Formation of governments (cities, laws, states)

 More warfare

 Public Works (irrigations, roads, walls)

INTERACTION  Population increase

 Permanent settlements

 More diseases

 More control over environment

 Overcultivation/overgrazing

CULTURAL  New tools (plow, wheel)

 Metallurgy

 Organized religion  Writing

 Woven textiles, pottery

ECONOMIC  Traditional economy

 Subsistence farming

 Specialized jobs

 Expansion of trade

 Forced labor (slavery)

1. How did human societies change during the Neolithic Revolution? What were the long-term demographic, social, political, and economic effects of the Neolithic Revolution?

 In response to warming climates about 10,000 years ago, some groups adapted to the environment in new ways (farmers, pastoralists) while others remained hunter-gatherers.

 Agriculture led to permanent settlements and created a more reliable, but not necessarily diversified food supply.

2. How did pastoral societies resemble or differ from early agricultural societies? Where did pastoralism persist even after the Neolithic Revolution?

 Like farmers, pastoralists…

o Domesticated animals and allowed their herds to graze the land.

o Were more socially stratified than hunter-gatherers

 Unlike farmers, pastoralists…

o Could not plant crops (too dry)

o Were still pretty mobile (did not acquire a lot of material possessions) 3. How did the Neolithic Revolution affect human societies economically and socially?

 It led to new and more complex economic and social systems

4. Why did the Neolithic Revolution start (at all)? Where did the Neolithic Revolution first transform human populations?

 Response to climate change/create new food sources  Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates Rivers), Egypt (Nile River), India (Indus River), China (Yellow River or Huang He), Papua New Guinea, Mesoamerica and Andes

5. Where did pastoralism persist even after the Neolithic Revolution?

 Central Asia, Southwest Asia, Northern Africa

6. What various crops and animals were developed or domesticated during the Neolithic Revolution?

 Southwest Asia: wheat, barley

 China: rice

 Africa: millet, sorghum, yams

 Mesoamerica: corn, squash, beans

7. What labor adjustments did humans make in order to facilitate the Neolithic Revolution?

 Agricultural communities had to work cooperatively to clear land and to create water control systems needed for crop production

8. What were the environmental effects of the Neolithic Revolution?

 Overcultivation and overgrazing led to soil erosion and deforestation

9. What effects did pastoralism and agriculture have on the food supply?

 Led to more reliable and abundant food supply which increased population

10. What were the social effects of the increased food supply caused by the increase of agriculture?

 Development of new social classes (artisan, warriors, merchants) and social divide between wealthy elites and poor

11. What technological innovations are associated with the growth of agriculture?

 Plows, metallurgy, wheels and wheeled vehicles Key Concept 1.3: The Development and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies

I. Core and foundational civilizations developed in a variety of geographical and environmental settings where agriculture flourished.

II. The first states emerged within core civilizations. III. Culture played a significant role in unifying states through laws, language, literature, religion, myths, and monumental art.

SOCIAL  Patriarchies intensify

 Social classes intensify

 Catal Huyuk and Jericho (early Neolithic towns)

 Beginning of civilizations (advanced societies)

POLITICAL  Hammurabi’s Code in Babylonia

 City-states (Mesopotamia)

 Empires (Mesopotamia and Egypt)

 Divine kings

 Mandate of Heaven (China)

 City planning (grid system and sewage in Indus River Valley)

 Walls (Mesopotamia, Citadel of Indus River Valley)

INTERACTION  Animals increasingly made “beasts of burden”

 Mesopotamian farming ruins land

 Isolation in China (ethnocentrism)

CULTURAL  Monumental architecture: pyramids, ziggurats, temples, defense walls

 Monotheism begins (Hebrews and Zoroastrians)

 Writing systems

 Works of writing: Epic of Gilgamesh, Book of the Dead

 New technologies: chariot, iron weapons, compound bows  Egypt and Nubia share ideas

ECONOMIC  Regional Trade Networks (Egypt to Mesopotamia to India)

 Local Trade Networks (Egypt and Nubia)

 Lydians develop coined system of money

1. What is a “civilization,” and what are the defining characteristics of a civilization?

 Advanced societies that came to be because of agricultural surpluses

o Cities, governments, writing, job specialization, social classes, organized religion, public works, art and architecture

2. How did civilizations develop and grow more complex before 600 B.C.E.? What were the effects of this increasing complexity?

 As populations grew, competition for surplus resources (food) led to greater social stratification, specialization of labor, increased trade, more complex government, religion and record keeping.

 Civilizations had to balance their need for more resources with environmental constraints

 Accumulation of wealth spurred warfare between communities and/or with pastoralists which drove the development of new warfare technologies

3. Where did the earliest civilizations develop, and why did they develop in those locations?

 Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates)

o Open plains led to good farmland, but also open to invasion (many empires)

 Egypt (Nile)

o Protected by desert, mountains, cataracts which led to long lasting empire

 Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa (Indus)

o Monsoons led to devastating floods

 Shang (Yellow or Huang He)

 Olmecs

 Chavin 4. What is a “state?” Who ruled the early states, and which segments of society usually supported the ruler?

 States were powerful new systems of rule that mobilized surplus labor and resources over large areas

 Led by rulers whose source of power was believed to be divine and was supported by priests and warriors

5. Why were some early states able to expand and conquer neighboring states?

 As states grew and competed for land and resources, the more favorable geography led to greater access to resources (e.g. Hittites had iron). These states were able to conquer surrounding states.

6. List four examples of early empires in the Nile and Tigris/Euphrates River Valleys.

 Tigris/Euphrates: Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians

 Nile: Egypt and Nubia

7. What role did pastoral civilizations play vis a vis empires?

 Pastoralists were often the developers of new weapons and modes of transportation that transformed warfare (e.g. Hittites, Hyksos)

o Compound bows

o Iron weapons

o Chariots

o Horseback Riding

8. What methods did rulers use to unify their populations?

 Laws, language, literature, religion, monumental art

9. What architectural forms did early civilizations produce?

 Ziggurats

 Pyramids

 Temples  Obelisks

 Defensive Walls

 Streets and roads

 Sewage and water systems

10. Which social strata encouraged the development of art in ancient civilizations?

 Elites promoted art (sculpture, painting, weaving, wall decorations)

11. What forms of writing developed in ancient civilizations?

 Cuneiform

 Hieroglyphics

 Alphabets (Phoenicians)

 Pictograph/Ideogram (China) 12. What was the relationship between literature and culture?

 Literature reflected culture (Epic of Gilgamesh, Book of the Dead)

13. What pre-600 B.C.E. religions strongly influenced later eras?

 Hebrew monotheisim

 Zoroastrianism

 Vedic religion

14. How “big” were the pre-600 B.C.E. trading regions?

 Trade expanded from local to regional to transregional

o Egypt/Nubia to Mesopotamia to Indus Valley

15. How did social and gender identities develop pre-600 B.C.E.?

 They intensified as states expanded

Overarching Questions

Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations, to c. 600 B.C.E. 1. Why this periodization?

 This period represents the origin of humans up until the earliest civilizations. The next time period is signaled by the beginning of classical civilizations (higher degree of education, religion)

2. List four major changes for this time period. Why did these changes occur?

 Higher birth rates (bigger families and increase in population)

 Reduced migration (permanent settlements)

 Job specialization (food surplus)

 Formation of cities and governments

 Social classes and gender inequality

 Monumental buildings (pyramids, ziggurats, walls)

 Writing

 Development of monotheism

3. List two major continuities for this time period. Why did these things stay the same?

 Changes took place slowly

o Inventing new devices took time o People remained attached to old ways

 Agriculture spread slowly because people were used to nomadic lives and men valued hunting (seemed masculine)

 Once agriculture adopted, traditional techniques were used for a long time (industrialization eventually changes agriculture because it incorporates more machinery)

o “beasts of burden”

o Crop rotation

o Slash and burn

 Polytheism persists